The present invention relates to shooting rests for firearms, especially handguns.
Since the development of firearms, numerous shooting rests have been devised to aid accuracy, and to be useful, any shooting rest must provide support for the firearm itself and serve to steady the shooter also. As firearms have become more efficient, aided with high magnification optical sights, precision shooting at long range has become the norm. This mandates that a shooting rest be used to achieve a measure of acceptable accuracy. This requirement becomes most evident when a handgun is used for long range shooting.
Generally, shooting rests comprise monopods, bipods, and tripods; rests designed for bench shooting; and rests which attach to the forearm of the gun. The maiority of shooting rests, however, whether designed for field or bench use, are intended for rifles. For field or hunting applications, these shooting rests generally take the form of a bipod attaching directly to the rifle itself, or are designed to be carried as a separate component in the form of a mono-pod, bipod, or tripod device of different variations. Whether designed to be used in the prone, sitting, kneeling, or standing positions, these shooting rests are generally effective because a rifle while rested at the forearm (under the barrel) is also supported by the shooter""s body, anchored at the shoulder, resulting in both the rifle and shooter being supported fore and aft. Because a rifle has a shoulder stock, this kind of shooting rest works well with any long-arm.
Handguns have a different shape and thus present a different problem. For using handguns in the field or when hunting, prior art shooting rests are not effective for accurate. long-range shooting. Unlike rifles, handguns are fired at arm""s length, without the benefit of a shoulder stock. A shooting rest that rests only under the forearm or barrel leaves unsupported the handgrip, and more importantly the shooter""s wrists and arms. Conversely, if a shooting rest supports the butt of the handgrip, the front of the handgun is left unsupported. Skilled shooters acknowledge that except for shooting at close range with iron or open sights, long range accuracy can be achieved only when the handgun is supported both fore and aft, and only when solid support is provided for the weight of the shooter""s wrists and arms.
Handguns for long range, precision shooting generally are fitted or equipped with optical (telescopic) sights, and are represented by single shot and bolt action pistols or large frame revolvers. The combined handgun with sight is heavy and long, precluding offhand shooting. Also, these are single shot bolt action pistols or large frame revolvers. These handguns can be used at target shooting ranges, where a substantial bench rest can be configured to support the fore and aft portions of the weapon. However, bench rests are unsuitable for or inapplicable to field and hunting applications.
Monopod gun supports, represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,740,625 or D276,668, offer no support for both fore and aft portions of a handgun. They are the least steady type of rest, even for rifle use, and almost must be pushed into the ground to be steady. They offer no adjustment provisions beyond height. They are, however, portable and simple.
Bipod gun supports, represented by U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,932 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,437, are still portable and steadier than monopod gun supports, but they still are inadequate for steady handgun shooting, notwithstanding their assertions to the contrary, due to their lack of the prescribed support. They are good for rifles, but not handguns.
Tripod gun supports such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,899 are big, bulky, and not highly portable. They are designed for camera use and are too complex for field use.
Bench rests are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,628,135; 4,438,581; and 5,600,913. They offer handguns support at both fore and aft. They are not designed for field use, due to their weight and bulk, or their rudimentary design. Such rests are clearly for bench use.
Scott U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,666 discloses a bench rest for supporting a rifle or handgun at one rest point only, rather than two points. The Scott rest has a pair of links 14, 16 that fold onto the top of a platform 12. Both links are rotationally connected to the platform via a threaded shaft 18 that runs up and down most of the length of the platform, and is centered left to right on the upper surface thereof. A traveling nut cooperates with at least one of the links and the shaft. In both the operative position and the closed position, the links and supporting mechanism occupy the center of the platform, leaving no room on the platform for the shooter to rest the butt of a handgun or the hand which is holding the handgun. This is shown in Scott""s FIG. 6 perspective view showing the barrel of a handgun supported on a rest bag 58 on the free end of first link 14. The hand holding the gun is rearward of the entire gunrest.
Mulvaney U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,233 is another bench rest that is usable for both rifles and handguns. It includes a large table panel 10, a movable rear support member 13 that is positionable longitudinally along the table panel, a forward support member 12 connected to a positioning lever 31, and an arrangement of springs and a pair of collars 34 that the shooter slides up or down the front legs 11. This is clearly not appropriate for field or hunting use with a handgun due at least to its large size, as shown in its FIG. 3, showing that the length of this rest is about twice the length of the handgun.
Another rest is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,757. It is not clear whether this is a bench rest, a monopod, or intended for hunting. Contrary to its assertions, it is not lightweight. Moreover, it is impractical to anchor the rest into the ground. Also, the center of gravity is incorrect, and the device is not portable.
Yet another gunrest style is represented by Kirkpatrick U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,407 and Harris U.S. Pat. No.4,625,620. The Kirkpatri for supporting a rifle, but it fails to support both the fore and aft portions of a handgun simultaneously. This design requires attachment to the firearm itself, thus making a handgun very cumbersome. Also, this design does not adapt to all handguns. It requires support under the shooter""s hands when used in a prone shooting position, and it does not suffice from the sitting position, which is the more useful position in the field.
Hilbelink U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,624 is for a handgun rest and offers a structure beneath fore and aft portions of the pistol. However, the shelf thereof (referred to by numeral 27) is not directly supported. Rather, the support is fashioned beneath the forearm or barrel, leaving the hands and arms of the shooter inadequately supported and apparently unstable. The point of support is offset from the weight of the shooter""s hands and the majority of the weight of the gun. Moreover, the gunrest shown and described there would appear to need to be pushed into the ground, which is a disadvantage.
Each of the prior art designs, whether an attached bipod or separate device, is compromised in one or more ways. Therefore, the present invention seeks to provide a handgun shooting rest that meets all or several of these several criteria, it is suitable for field use; it offers fore and aft support for both hands and the pistol forearm or barrel; it allows the majority of the weight of the handgun and the weight of the shooter""s hands and wrists to be disposed directly above the support; it is compact and easily carried; it is adaptable to both prone and sitting positions due to varying terrain conditions; and it is capable of rapid deployment. One of the embodiments it offers a mechanism accommodating at least one but preferably both of swivel and canting movement, i.e. rotation in two orthogonal dimensions, for target acquisition and adjustment to uneven ground.
A handgun rest suitable for field use supports the weight of the handgun both fore and aft and includes a shooting platform on which the shooter rests the butt of the handgun grip and one or both hands that grip the weapon. A first extension member has a first end which is coupled rotatably to the forward part of the platform, preferably at or associated with the front of the platform. The first extension member has a second end that is distally spaced from the first end. The first extension member preferably includes a first cross member that can be used for supporting a gun barrel or other forward portion of the gun at the second end of the first extension member. Preferably the first extension member is rotatable from a closed (or storage) position, in which the first extension member may conveniently lie upon the upper surface of the platform, to an operating position where the second end is positioned upward of the upper surface of the platform and preferably forward from the front edge of the platform. Preferably the first extension member is rotatable through at least about ninety degrees (90xc2x0). Preferably the first extension member in the operating position angles upward and forward to provide both the required amount of upward rise and forward extension to come under, and provide the rest for, a forward portion of the gun, e.g. its forearm or barrel when the grip is rested on the platform.
Preferably the gun rest includes a second extension member having a first end and an opposed, distally spaced second end, the first end preferably being rotatably coupled to the second end of the first extension member. Preferably the second extension member includes or is associated with a second cross member which may support the forward portion of the hand gun.
The first extension member, being coupled nearest to the platform, may be referred to as an xe2x80x9cinnerxe2x80x9d extension member. The second extension member, being rotatably coupled at the second end of the inner extension member, may be referred to as an xe2x80x9couterxe2x80x9d extension member. The cross member at the second end of the first cross member may be referred to as an inner cross member, and the cross member at or associated with the second end of the second cross member may be called an xe2x80x9couterxe2x80x9d cross member.
Preferably, the gun rest of the preferred embodiment is opened in a two-step process. In the closed position, preferably the first and second extension members are nested together and lie upon the upper surface of the platform. To open the rest, the shooter rotates the first and second extension members together through an angle that is preferably about ninety degrees (90xc2x0) or more. (This leaves the platform clear for supporting the hands and gun.) Then the shooter rotates the second extension member into position.
Preferably the gun rest of the preferred embodiment is closed by rotating the second extension member into alignment with the first extension member, and then the two extension members are rotated together, at once, onto the upper surface of the platform.
The platform of the rest preferably includes threaded fittings on a bottom surface so that the platform may be supported by a tripod, bipod, or monopod, as the shooter desires. In addition, the platform preferably has feet or pads so that it may be used upon a bench when that is available at a shooting range, for example.